Submission statement: The screw worm is a parasite that had been eradicated from the US, Mexico, and Central America via a program of breeding sterile males and dropping them in hit areas. The females mate once with the sterile males and then not again. This reduces the popualtion in the effected areas. This parasite was pushed back all the way to the border with Panama and Columbia and held for decades.
Here is an article from the USDA on the history of this program: https://www.nal.usda.gov/exhibits/speccoll/exhibits/show/stop-screwworms–selections-fr/introduction
Here is a video with the same: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Olj8arvfYj4
The wall was breached in 2022 and now with cuts to the program from DOGE the system has entirely collapsed. The screw worm is back across central America and about to enter the US. The costs of this program were miniscule compared to the economic damage the return of screw worms will cause.
Posted by AniNgAnnoys
4 Comments
Well at least Texas is presumably well-stocked on ivermectin by now, maybe they’ll consider using it for its intended purpose.
We need to lift out all liberal texans and quarantine the area. It is for the greater good.
Cannot edit this into my OP. Here is an article that speaks about the March cuts to the program which caused a loss of experienced staff:
https://kbhbradio.com/usda-cuts-budget-staff-for-animal-disease-control-suspends-imports-of-live-cattle-from-mexico-again/
There is some hope that the urgency of the problem will bring back funding:
https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2025/06/18/secretary-rollins-announces-bold-plan-combat-new-world-screwworms-northward-spread
Average headline in 2025